Al-Sumait Prize was launched in December 2015 based on an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah, the late Amir of the State of Kuwait. The prize honors individuals or institutions who help to advance economic and social development, human resources development and infrastructure in the African continent.
The prize is awarded annually to individuals or institutions within one of three proposed fields – Food Security, Health, and Education – and has a value of $1,000,000 (One million US dollars). The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and the Board of Trustees for the prize oversee the prize.
Celebrating the life of the late Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sumait, a Kuwaiti physician who devoted his life towards helping the poor in Africa, the avowed aim of the awards is to contribute significantly to solving major development challenges facing African nations.
The A-Sumait Board of Trustees is composed of prominent international personalities in the field of development in Africa and world-renowned philanthropists. The Board is chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohamad Al-Sabah Minister of Foreign Affairs for the State of Kuwait.
Other board members include Mr. Abdulatif Al-Hamad , Director General and Chairman of Board of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Makhtar Diop, World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, Dr. Kwaku Aning, Former Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Tareq Al-Mutawa , Executive Member of the Board of Public Gathering Charity Committee and Director General and Chairman of Board of Sadeer Company for Trading and Contracting, and Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin, Director General of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.
